The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. Such advances have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are very small electro-mechanical systems incorporated into ICs. These MEMS devices commonly have a top-cap (or capping structure) secured to the MEMS device to enclose, secure, and/or protect the MEMS device. Traditional bonding processes secure the capping structure directly to the MEMS device. These processes may decrease MEMS device reliability, which may result from mechanical damage to the MEMS device during the direct bonding process. Further, multiple patterning processes may be required, which results in higher than desirable manufacturing costs and time. Therefore, what is needed is an improved method and IC that protects and secures the MEMS device while reducing processing time and costs.